Mass Transparency

ID:100470
 
Aug 17 2010, 4:54 am (Edited on Aug 19 2010, 8:35 pm)
Applies to:Dream Maker
Status: Open
Issue hasn't been assigned a status value.
I'd like the ability to do a mass transparency on a icon while working with it. Right now, as far as I can see, you can only select one color at a time for transparency and then you have to swap the color out of the icon with the one currently made transparent.

It's be nice to use the selection feature to be able to select an entire area and then use the transparency feature to make the whole selection transparent without having to deal with a whole lot of extra jumping through hoops.

Edit: While we are on this subject, why is it, you can edit a color in the colors box and it will directly effect the colors in a icon, but if you alter the transparency of the color, you still have to go out of your way to manually replace it? Shouldn't it effect the current colors as much as a color alteration would?
Aug 17 2010, 3:08 pm
1) Click the "RGB + Alpha" drop down box and select "Alpha".
2) Adjust the alpha scroll bar to your preference.
3) Click the "Flood" button and click the "template".
4) Once finished, select "RGB + Alpha" and you will notice that you have accomplished "Mass Transparency."
Aug 17 2010, 4:34 pm
Calus CoRPS wrote:
1) Click the "RGB + Alpha" drop down box and select "Alpha".
2) Adjust the alpha scroll bar to your preference.
3) Click the "Flood" button and click the "template".
4) Once finished, select "RGB + Alpha" and you will notice that you have accomplished "Mass Transparency."

Seems like a lot of work, instead they could just do it the way I mentioned it. Doubt it'd be that hard to implement.
Aug 17 2010, 5:04 pm
Ham Doctor wrote:
Calus CoRPS wrote:
1) Click the "RGB + Alpha" drop down box and select "Alpha".
2) Adjust the alpha scroll bar to your preference.
3) Click the "Flood" button and click the "template".
4) Once finished, select "RGB + Alpha" and you will notice that you have accomplished "Mass Transparency."

Seems like a lot of work, instead they could just do it the way I mentioned it. Doubt it'd be that hard to implement.

But it's already possible, I don't know why they would implement it another way, too.
Aug 18 2010, 4:53 pm
DivineTraveller wrote:
Ham Doctor wrote:
Calus CoRPS wrote:
1) Click the "RGB + Alpha" drop down box and select "Alpha".
2) Adjust the alpha scroll bar to your preference.
3) Click the "Flood" button and click the "template".
4) Once finished, select "RGB + Alpha" and you will notice that you have accomplished "Mass Transparency."

Seems like a lot of work, instead they could just do it the way I mentioned it. Doubt it'd be that hard to implement.

But it's already possible, I don't know why they would implement it another way, too.

Because it really makes sense. I have no idea why they decided that a mass selection shouldn't be effected by the transparency option. If you select something and use transparency, it should work. What's not so hard to get about that?

As it stands right now, I don't feel like doing all the extra crap you guys are talking about. I just import my images into GIMP and with two clicks of my mouse do the same thing. It's just annoying that BYOND isn't like that.
Aug 18 2010, 8:15 pm
Ham Doctor wrote:
DivineTraveller wrote:
Ham Doctor wrote:
Calus CoRPS wrote:
1) Click the "RGB + Alpha" drop down box and select "Alpha".
2) Adjust the alpha scroll bar to your preference.
3) Click the "Flood" button and click the "template".
4) Once finished, select "RGB + Alpha" and you will notice that you have accomplished "Mass Transparency."

Seems like a lot of work, instead they could just do it the way I mentioned it. Doubt it'd be that hard to implement.

But it's already possible, I don't know why they would implement it another way, too.

Because it really makes sense. I have no idea why they decided that a mass selection shouldn't be effected by the transparency option. If you select something and use transparency, it should work. What's not so hard to get about that?

As it stands right now, I don't feel like doing all the extra crap you guys are talking about. I just import my images into GIMP and with two clicks of my mouse do the same thing. It's just annoying that BYOND isn't like that.

BYOND also isn't a specialized graphic design engine.
Aug 19 2010, 8:31 pm
Kumorii wrote:
Ham Doctor wrote:
DivineTraveller wrote:
Ham Doctor wrote:
Calus CoRPS wrote:
1) Click the "RGB + Alpha" drop down box and select "Alpha".
2) Adjust the alpha scroll bar to your preference.
3) Click the "Flood" button and click the "template".
4) Once finished, select "RGB + Alpha" and you will notice that you have accomplished "Mass Transparency."

Seems like a lot of work, instead they could just do it the way I mentioned it. Doubt it'd be that hard to implement.

But it's already possible, I don't know why they would implement it another way, too.

Because it really makes sense. I have no idea why they decided that a mass selection shouldn't be effected by the transparency option. If you select something and use transparency, it should work. What's not so hard to get about that?

As it stands right now, I don't feel like doing all the extra crap you guys are talking about. I just import my images into GIMP and with two clicks of my mouse do the same thing. It's just annoying that BYOND isn't like that.

BYOND also isn't a specialized graphic design engine.

But it is a part of the BYOND engine, if it weren't, then we wouldn't even have an icon editor in the BYOND engine to begin with. We'd have to make sprite sheets and stuff like lesser programs (Player Worlds). It's an option that just makes sense and I can't believe ANYONE is even arguing it right now.
Aug 20 2010, 5:20 am
Ham doctor: Sure, the method you are requesting to achieve mass transparency may be faster. But have you tried the route recommended? It takes only a few clicks and is actually rather fast. Because mass transparency is already possible and it is not a burden to accomplish, I doubt your "speed enhancement" request will be given any consideration.

Ham Doctor wrote:
It's an option that just makes sense and I can't believe ANYONE is even arguing it right now.

I feel that a speed enhancement is not necessary. I realize that BYOND does not need to hold my hand through the process of developing a game. As I said, your method is easier, but an extra few clicks of attaining mass transparency is one of the many features I do not expect nor actually desire an enhancement in.
Aug 20 2010, 6:32 am
No, I refuse to use the recommended route, would you like to know why?

1. Because the feature I am requesting should have been implemented when they re-designed the in engine icon editor.

2. Because you can alter the icon's color in the ways I have described, but not transparency. It makes no sense.

3. It's a waste of time for me to take the longer route when I can import my images through GIMP and do it much faster.

At this point I already figured out what I am doing, I am simply requesting this feature for any other users who do not wish to have to download a 3rd party program in order to do something in BYOND that should have already been implemented.

BYOND has the icon editing feature, BYOND most likely has the ability to do exactly what I am requesting. It is a time saving feature and I don't understand why it was never done to begin with and why you would ever argue against it. I am starting to think people on BYOND are literally high.

BYOND should do whatever it possibly can in it's power to make it more user friendly as possible and this is one of them.
Aug 21 2010, 5:51 am
Ham Doctor, I just have one more thing to say as I do not have any say over the implementation of such a feature.

I would assume you have not used the route recommended much, if at all. So why should anyone give your technique any consideration when you have not taken the time out to try the current technique? It takes three 'clicks' just to get your whole icon transparent (five 'clicks' if you add changing the alpha bar and returning to RGB + Alpha). It is not that big of a hassle and I believe going through GIMP waste more time and 'clicks'.

Give this route a chance, if you honestly feel that it must change after playing around with it, I'll then give your word some merit, for what it is worth.
Aug 24 2010, 9:07 am
I just had to run through this today for a few fadein/fadeout effects, and I have to say, it's not that bad. I can agree with the edit part of your suggestion, but the rest of it is still not that difficult.
Sep 3 2010, 1:16 pm
I would personally be happy if the Alpha bar was able to change the whole transparency as you dragged it. Everything else is just a bonus in my opinion. It is just annoying to have to drag the Alpha bar, then flood your colors. This system would greatly reduce work, in the case that you have a fully visible icon that needs to be partially or fully transparent.
Sep 7 2010, 4:01 am
It would be nice, but I'm not sure that the slider would work. The biggest problem I see is that there's no place in the .dmi file to save the position of the alpha slider. You'd probably also need to save the original alpha value of each pixel so that it's alpha can be properly computed when you move the alpha slider. I imagine the .dmi format is what limits the practicality of this but an official comment on this would be nice.

It might work better if there was a "fade" button and text box. Like how rotating works, you'd type a percentage in the text box and click the fade button, it would then multiply the alpha value of each pixel by that percentage. This way all of the information is stored in the pixels of the image itself. Also, like rotation, the only way to properly undo the fade is with the undo command. If you save the icon, close DM, and re-open it, you might not be able to get the original back exactly.

Either way this is a useful feature. It doesn't seem very difficult but icon editor requests seem to be some of the most ignored ones.
Oct 6 2010, 6:34 pm
+ yeah, I like and agree with the edit part of this post. As for the original post, i can see this being useful if im making something that needs to be partially transparent. Going into alpha doesnt really help for doing that, rather, id have to paint over whatever i want to be transparent. Where as if i could just select it, (say i wanted to make a transparent leg or something) and be done with it.